Film reeling apparatus



y 1952 B. ROSE ETAL 2,595,545

FILM REELING APPARATUS Filed D86. 19, 1947 2 SPEETFSHEET 1 IN VEN TORS.BENJAMIN RO SE A BY S MUEL ROSE A TTORNEYS May 6, 1952 B. ROSE ETAL FILMREEL-INC APPARATUS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Dec. 19, 1947 INVENTORS.BENJAMIN ROSE SAMUEL ROSE BY Wa /M Y9);

ATTORNEYS Patented May 6, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FILM REELINGAPPARATUS Benjamin Rose and Samuel Rose, New York, N. Y.

Application December 19, 1947, Serial No. 792,694

11 Claims. 1

This invention relates to film reeling apparatus for reeling roll filmfrom one reel to another, and has for an object the provision ofapparatus for developing such films in animproved manner. The inventionmay, however, be employed in connection with any apparatus where it isdesired to move or transport the film from one reel to another; forexample, in a reading machine, or other device where it is necessary totransport the film past the lens and then rewind the film.

It is, therefore, a further object of the invention to provide animproved apparatus for reeling film from one reel to another for use inconnection with film apparatus of any character.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingspecification.

By way of illustration, the invention will be shown as applied to thedevelopment of roll films of the ordinary size employed in hand andmotion picture cameras, but it will be understood that the disclosuremade herein is merely for the sake of illustration and that many changesand modifications can be made in the mode of construction and the formand relationship of the several elements without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a front view of the apparatus, Figure 1, with part of thecasing broken away to show the interior;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the clutchshifting mechanism shown inFigure 1;

Figure 4 is-a sectional view of the driving and driven shafts, Figure 1;and

Figure 5 is the wiring diagram of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the numeral Hi denotes a mounting plate orsupport upon which the apparatus is assembled. This plate may be made ofany suitable material, preferably a noncorrosive metal, and it may formthe top of the developer tank shown in dotted lines at H and may beprovided with a removable top or cover [2.

A motor l3 provided with any suitable gear reducing mechanism I4 ismounted on the plate It] and the gear reduction shaft l5 carries apinion l6, which engages a pinion l1, mounted on the driving shaft 18,mounted in the supports I9 and 20, secured to the base.

The driving shaft 18 supports a pair of tubular driven shafts 2!, 22,which are supported on the shaft I8 and free to rotate thereon.

The driven shafts 2|, 22, carry respectively the toothed clutch collars23, 24, and also carry the pinions or gears 25, 26.

Mounted upon the driving shaft 18 is the movable member 21, having teethon its oppositev Said member is shiftablealong shaft l8 sides.longitudinally so that the teeth thereon may ale ternately engage thetoothed .collars 23, 2,4.

The driving shaft l8, where it supports the member 21, may be splined orotherwise shaped so that the member 21 revolves with the driving shaftI8 but is slidable therealong.

The clutch member 21 is provided with any suitable means for shifting itinto and out of engagement with the toothed clutch collars 23, 24. Onemeans of accomplishing this is to provide the movable member 21 with anexternal groove 28 into which from opposite sides extend pins 29 mountedin a yoke 30, which straddles the member 21. The yoke .is mounted on ashaft 3| supported in the uprights 32, 33,. mounted on the base. Theyoke 30 is therefore free to swing, and when the lower end of it ismoved to the right or the left, Figures 1 and 3, the driving shaft willbe coupled to the driven shafts 2|, 22 in order to drive one or theother of these driven shafts.

The pinions 25, 26 engage respectively the pinions 34, 35 mounted on theupper ends of the vertical reel shafts 36, 31, which are supported inthe plate 10, and extend downwardly therethrough into the tank I I.

The lower portions of the reel shafts are usually squared or otherwiseshaped to support the usual film reels 38, 39 which are secured theretoin any suitable manner so that the reels will revolve with the shaftswithout turning thereon.

The means for automatically shifting the clutch member will now bedescribed.

The yoke 36 has a pin 40 projecting from one side thereof and upon thispin is mounted an L-shaped pawl Al. The pawl turns about the in 40 butswings together with the pin when the yoke moves.

A spring 42 is connected to the free end of the yoke 30 and is supportedon a post 43 secured to the mounting plate 10. This spring is tensionedso as to normally draw the yoke '36 to the left, Figures 1 and 3,whereby the teeth on the movable member 21 of the clutch are inengagement with the toothed clutch collar 23 to drive shaft 2| and shaft36 driven thereby. A suitable magnetic devioe such as the sole-" noid 44is connected by a metallic chain 45' engage the stop 49 secured totheplate 16, thereby locking yoke 39 in a position where the drivingshaft (8 is driving the driven shaft 22 and the reel shaft 31 driventhereby. The solenoids 44, 46, are operated to shift the yoke to revolvereels 38 or 39 as follows. There is provided adjacent to each reel, butso positioned that they do not interfere with placing the reels on theshafts, arms 50, which are equipped with any suitable means, such as therollers 52, 53 adapted to bear against the film wound on the reels.These arms are mounted on shafts 54, 55, which move with the arms andwhich are supported in and extend through the plate It. The upper endsof these shafts carry actuating arms 56, 5i which are adjustably securedto the shafts; that is to say, by loosening the screws 58, 59, securingsaid arms to the shafts, the arms may be rotated about the shafts, whichenables the rollers 52, E3, to be positioned in respect to film on thereels in order to operate in a manner to be presently described.Adjacent the outer end of the arms 58, 5'! are positioned the switchesBil, Bl, which may be of any suitable type.

If desired. the switches may be adjustable in respect to the arms, so asto change the timing of the reversal of the apparatus, thus giving anadditional way of adjusting the film switches other than by adjustingthe arms 55, The adjustment of the switches Si), Si, can be accomplishedby providing a clamp screw Gila around which the switch pivots as shownby the dotted line Gllb, Figure 1, thus bringing the operating memberBile of the switch nearer to or further away from the actuating arms 56,iii. Referring to Figure 5, it will be assumed that reel 39 is filledwith film generally denoted by the numeral 82, and that the outer end orleader strip of this film has been carried over and-a few wraps of itwound around the hub of reel 38 as indicated at 83. The switch actuatingmechanism comprising the arms 52, 5G, 54, 58 are so set that switch 60is in closed position. The switch actuating mechanism just described isheld with its roller 52 in contact with the roll 83 of film by means ofa spring 64 in a manner that will be obvious. It will be understood thatthe switch actuating mechanism and switch 6! employed in connection withreel 39 is the same as that just described, and here the contactmechanism has a spring 65 associated therewith that operates the same asspring 64 previously described to hold the roller 53 in contact withfilm 62. However, it will be noted that switch 61 of this assembly isopen; switch 6i may be adjustable around its supporting screw iila sothat it will swing in the path Blb, Figure 1, if desired.

If now the main switch 85 is closed, motor l3 will operate, revolvingthe movable member 27 of the clutch, which will be in engagement withthe toothed clutch collar 23 to drive the reel 38 via shafts 2| and 36.This is because the spring 42 is urging member 2'! into engagement withthe toothed clutch collar 23, and besides solenoid 4:, is energized andhas pulled the yoke iii) to the left, Figure 5. Accordingly, reel isrevolved and film 63 is wound from reel 39 to reel 38, the diameter ofthe roll of film at 63 increasing. It will be understood that reel 39and its associated driving mechanism-shafts 31 and 22 are free torevolve.

The roll of film at 63 rapidly increases and the arm 50 moves upwardlyand switch Si) is almost immediately opened, but as spring 42 stillholds the clutch member 21 into engagement with the drive for reel 38,the reel continues to revolve.

As the roll of film at 62 on reel 39 decreases, arm 5| moves downwardly,and finally when only a few wraps of the film remain, or when the leaderstrip is reached, the contact on switch 6! is closed, solenoid 46 isoperated, and the movable member 21 of the clutch is drawn to the rightengaging toothed clutch collar 24 and the driving shafts 22 and 31,thereby revolving reel 39 to wind film 62 thereon.

While the film is moving to the right reel 38, shafts 36 and 2| are freeas the driving member 21 of the clutch is disengaged therefrom.

It will be noted that almost immediately as soon as reel 39 starts, itsswitch contact at 6| will be opened and solenoid released, but that theyoke member 30 of the clutch will be held in the right-hand position asthe cam nose 41b engages the stop 49, as soon as solenoid 46 operates,and therefore the clutch is locked in position to drive reel 39 untilthe cam 41 is released by the operation of solenoid 44.

It will be understood that the entire mechanism for operating the clutchas herein described is merely illustrative, and that many otherarrangements may be used to cause the clutch to operate to move the filmfirst in one direction until a predetermined amount of it has been woundon one reel, and then automatically reverse the movement of the film inorder to wind a predetermined amount of it on the other reel, and thatby properly setting the arms 50, 5! in relation to the film on thereels, the apparatus will automatically operate to cyclically move thefilm back and forth in the developer in tank I l as long as desired.

One advantage of the arrangement disclosed is the very short time inwhich the solenoids 44, 4:3 are in operation, thus eliminating theobjectionable hum or vibration which often occurs with such solenoids ortheir equivalents, such as rela'ys or the like, when they are keptenergized by alternating current in order to hold a clutch or the likein position during the winding periods.

It will be seen that the arms 5i 5! can be so adjusted, if the propertype of switches 60, 6! are used, so that only two or three wraps moreor less of film are necessary in order to cause the switches to eitheropen or close. Or, the switches may be adjusted relative to the arms.

As one of the reels is always free when the other reel is winding, thereis no strain placed on the film 61 extendin between the reels.

The arms 5i], 5! being spring-pressed against the film, act as brakes toprevent any over-run of film from the free reel.

The film may be wound on the reels so that the rollers 52, 53 do notbear on the emulsion side of the film, and the motion of the film backand forth through the developer insures speedy and perfect developmentwithout the necessity of any other means of agitating the film in thedeveloper or of agitating the developer itself, the motion of the filmand the reels in the developer acting to stir the same.

While the invention is disclosed as applied to an automatic developintank, it will be understood that the invention may be applied to anyother device having film reels in a tank in which it is desired totransport a film from one reel to another, and then reverse thedirection of movement of the film and rewind the same.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus for processing photographic film, a motor, a pair ofdriven shafts, a. clutch for connecting said motor alternately to eitherof said shafts to permit the non-connected shaft to revolve freely andindependently of said motor, a tank adapted to hold liquid, film windingmeans driven by said shafts including film reels adapted to be immersedin liquid in said tank, said reels to wind rolls of film, and switchmeans extending into said tank for controlling said clutch includingmovable members contacting said film and moved thereby whereby saidclutch will be operated to connect said motor to drive said shaftsalternately in opposite directions to wind said film in tank from oneroll to the other.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including a driving shaftpermanently connected to said motor to be driven thereby and revolvablyheld against longitudinal movement upon which said driven shafts aresupported, and wherein said clutch is supported on said driving shaftand is shiftable therealong by said switch means to engage either ofsaid driven shafts.

3. In apparatus for processing photographic film, a tank, a mountingplate overlying said tank, a pair of reel shafts extending through saidplate and adapted to rotatably support film reels in said tank, filmreels on said shafts and positioned in said tank thereby, means on theupper side of said plate for alternately driving said shafts and reelsin opposite directions, said means including a motor, a clutchrotatively supported on said plate connected to said motor and adaptedwhen operated to alternatively drive said shafts, means for operatingsaid clutch including a switch, a film immersed in liquid in said tankand extending between said reels and having its ends wound thereon, andmeans in said tank adapted to contact said film on said reels andextending through said plate to operate said switch thereaboveindependently of the tension of said film.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said means in said tankincludes adjustable arms engaging the film rolled on each of said reels,whereby the timing of the reversal of the direction of rotation of saidreels may be predetermined.

5. The apparatus as claimed is claim 3, wherein said means in said tankincludes arms engaging the film rolled on said reels and switchesindependently adjustable relative to said arms, whereby timing of thereversal of the direction of rotation of said reels may be predeterminedindependently of the tension of said film.

6. In apparatus for processing photographic film, a driving shaft, apair of driven shafts, a clutch interposed between said driving shaftand said driven shafts whereby either of said last shafts may be driven,means for operating said clutch to cause same to drive either of saiddriven shafts, including a yoke member embracing a part of said clutchand movable to operate the same, magnetically operated means adapted tomove said yoke, a tank adapted to hold liquid, means including filmreels adapted to be immersed in liquid in said tank, said reels beingconnected to said driven shafts for winding a film in said tankthereabout, and means including a circuit having a source of current andcontacts therein, a movable member carrying one of said contacts, saidmember contacting said film and being moved thereby and independent ofthe tension thereof to control said 6 circuit, said magnetic means beingserially included therein.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, including a pawl connected to saidyoke member and adapted when said member is moved to lock said yoke inoperated position.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, including a spring connected to saidyoke member to urge the same to operatively connect said clutch to oneof said driven shafts.

9. In an apparatus for processing photographic film, a pair of shaftsaxially aligned in end-toend relationship and adapted to beseparatelydriven, a drivin member axially aligned with said shafts and adapted tobe shifted to engage either shaft to drive the same, a tank adapted tohold liquid, film reeling means including film reels adapted to beimmersed in liquid in said tank, said reels being driven by said shafts,electrically operated means for shifting said member to engage eithershaft, and a contact mechanism including a pivoted arm contacting saidfilm and moved thereby, said arm having a contact in series with saidelectrically operated means and controlling the same whereby saiddriving member may be shifted to shaft-engaging position.

10. The combination as claimed in claim 9, wherein said driving memberincludes a clutch and a yoke for shifting said clutch and wherein saidelectrically operated means includes a magnetically actuated device, andwherein said last device is connected to said yoke by a flexible member.

11. In an apparatus for processing photographic film, a pair of shaftsin end-to-end relationship and adapted to be separately driven, adriving member adapted to be shifted to engage either of said shafts todrive the same, a tank adapted to hold liquid, film reeling means insaid tank driven by said shafts, spring means tending to urge saiddriving member to engagement with one of said shafts, electricallyoperating means for shifting said member against the tension of saidspring to engage the other of said shafts, and a contact mechanismincluding a pivoted arm contacting said film and moved thereby, said armhaving a contact in series with said electrically operated means tocontrol the actuation of same whereby said driving member may be shiftedto shaft-engaging position.

BENJAMIN ROSE. SAMUEL ROSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,123,147 Sherman Dec. 29, 19141,144,673 Wheeler June 29, 1915 1,210,955 Langheck Jan. 2, 19171,695,857 Proctor Dec. 18, 1928 1,714,816 Proctor May 28, 1929 1,969,823Smith Aug. 14, 1934 2,069,631 Thomas Feb. 2, 1937 2,088,451 Thomas July27, 1937 2,419,476 Begun Apr. 2, 1947 2,480,880 Richard Sept. 6, 1949FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 106.047 Sweden Dec. 1, 1942

